The invention relates to a motor vehicle including an internal combustion engine and an electric machine for driving the motor vehicle by at least one of the internal combustion engine and the electric machine, and a power electronic system for controlling the power supplied to, or by, the electric machine.
Vehicles having an internal combustion engine and an electrical machine, by which the vehicle can be driven, have a power electronics system for converting and switching electrical energy and for controlling the operation of the electrical machine. In this case, the electrical energy is provided in the form of high electric currents at high voltages. The power electronics system primarily permits electrical energy of a specific voltage and frequency to be converted into electrical energy of another voltage and/or frequency.
Generally, a battery is used as an electrical energy storage means and a three-phase electric machine is used as the electrical machine. The power electronics system serves to convert the DC voltage of the battery into a three-phase AC voltage for the motor mode of the three-phase machine and to convert the three-phase AC voltage into a DC voltage in the generator mode of operation of the three-phase machine.
In known vehicles, the power electronics system is arranged in the vicinity of the electrical machine, in order to keep the length of the AC voltage cabling short, and thus to keep, for example, the possible voltage drop in the AC voltage cabling low. If the electrical machine is integrated in the vehicle transmission, the power electronics system is attached to the transmission housing.
An arrangement of this type in a hybrid vehicle is known, for example, from DE 197 47 265 A1.
Further elements of the power electronics system, for example inverter units for auxiliary assemblies such as DC actuator units or control units, are arranged in known vehicles distributed over the vehicle in available smaller installation spaces. Disadvantageously long electrical cabling is required for this purpose, however.
It is the object of the present invention is to provide an alternative arrangement of the power electronics system, which makes the best possible use of the available installation space.